“No, I’ll stay here, I guess.  The old lady made me promise to keep my feet dry afore I left the house.”

“You want to go, Mr. Ellery?  Lots of room.”

The minister was tempted.  The sea always had a fascination for him and the mystery of the strange ship was appealing.

“Sure I won’t be in the way?”

“No, no! ’course you won’t,” said Burgess.  “Come right along.  You set in the bow, if you don’t mind gettin’ sprinkled once in a while.  I’ll steer and Thoph and Bill’ll row.  That’ll be enough for one dory.  If we need more, we’ll signal.  Heave ahead.”

The surf, though low for that season of the year, looked dangerous to Ellery, but his companions launched the dory with the ease which comes of experience.  Burgess took the steering oar and Thoph and “Bill,” the latter a lobsterman from Wellmouth Neck, bent their broad backs for the long pull.  The statement concerning the pondlike smoothness of the sea was something of an exaggeration.  The dory climbed wave after wave, long and green and oily, at the top of each she poised, tipped and slid down the slope.  The minister, curled up in the bow on a rather uncomfortable cushion of anchor and roding, caught glimpses of the receding shore over the crests behind.  One minute he looked down into the face of Burgess, holding the steering oar in place, the next the stern was high above him and he felt that he was reclining on the back of his neck.  But always the shoulders of the rowers moved steadily in the short, deep strokes of the rough water oarsman, and the beach, with the white light and red-roofed house of the keeper, the group beside it, and Captain Zeb’s horse and chaise, grew smaller and less distinct.

“Humph!” grunted Charlie.

“What’s the matter?” asked Thoph.

The steersman, who was staring hard in the direction they were going, scowled.

“Humph!” he grunted again.  “I swan to man, fellers, I believe she is abandoned!”

“Rubbish!” panted Bill, twisting his neck to look over his shoulder.  “’Course she ain’t!  Who’d abandon a craft such weather’s this, and Province-town harbor only three hours’ run or so?”

“When it comes to that,” commented Burgess, “why should they anchor off here, ‘stead of takin’ her in by the inlet?  If there’s anybody aboard they ain’t showed themselves yet.  She might have been leakin’, but she don’t look it.  Sets up out of water pretty well.  Well, we’ll know in a few minutes.  Hit her up, boys!”

The rowers “hit her up” and the dory moved faster.  Then Burgess, putting his hand to his mouth, hailed.

“Ship ahoy!” he roared.  “Ahoy!”

No reply.

“Ahoy the brig!” bellowed Burgess.  “What’s the matter aboard there?  All hands asleep?”

Still no answer.  Thoph and Bill pulled more slowly now.  Burgess nodded to them.

“Stand by!” he ordered.  “Easy!  Way enough!  Let her run.”